The present invention pertains to a folding utility cart which may be provided as a substantially sized garden cart with a box capacity of 5 cubic feet, for example, or a smaller unit sized to carry a single garbage can. In either event, a minimum amount of storage space is required.
To prepare for storage the front and rear end panels of the box are slid upwardly from between the front and rear ends of the side panels. This permits removal of a rear end handle and the folding of the side wall panels to generally prone positions atop the floor panel with a side wheel extending upwardly from each side panel. The end wall panels and handle may then be placed atop the folded box and wheel assembly for flat storage, or they may be leaned against a wall or hung up out of the way. In any event a minimal amount of storage space is needed.
Therefore, one of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a utility cart including a floor panel and a pair of opposed side wall panels, hingedly connected along respective side edges of the floor panel for swinging erection to vertical positions along said side edges from generally prone positions atop the floor panel.
Another object of the invention is to provide a pair of side wheels for the cart, each of which is rotatably fixed to one of the side walls for swinging movement therewith.
A further object of the invention is to provide removable front and rear end panels to respectively span front and rear ends of the side walls, and including means to properly position said end panels and to automatically lock said side walls and end panels in erected positions relative to the floor panel.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a pair of sleeve sockets fixed relative to respective top rear ends of the side walls for reception of respective ends of a generally U-shaped handle and including means to automatically lock the handle in place when the rear end wall panel is securely locked between the side wall panels.